MP: BJP gives tickets to Nirmala Bhuria, Gayatri Puar for bypolls

Bhopal, Oct 28: Seeking to encash the sympathy for the departed leaders, BJP on Thursday fielded its Jhabua MLA Nirmala Bhuria and Gayatri Raja Puar as candidates for the November 21 byelections to Ratlam Lok Sabha reserved seat and Dewas assembly seat respectively.

"Party's central elections committee has cleared the names of Nirmala Bhuria and Gayatri Raja Puar," Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Nandkumar Chauhan said. Nirmala Bhuria, a five-time MLA, is the daughter of late Ratlam MP and BJP's tribal face Dileep Singh Bhuria while Gayatri is the wife of the late BJP leader Tukojirao Puar, a former state minister.

The bypolls were necessitated by the death of Dileep Singh Bhuria and Tukojirao Puar. BJP had won Ratlam Lok Sabha seat for the first time in 2014 with a margin of over one lakh votes.

The last date for filing nominations is November 4. Congress is yet to announce its candidates.

Party sources said that former Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria, who had contested from Ratlam unsuccessfully last time, may get the ticket again.